How Often Do You Need To Take Your Pet To The Vet?
It’s important to take care of our animal companions’ health just like how we take care of our own.
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Are you a responsible pet owner? If so, how often do you take your furry, scaly, feathery or leathery friends to the vet?
It’s generally recommended that pet owners take their animal companions for regular checkups once or twice a year.
But unfortunately, a survey conducted by Royal Canin found that more than 15% of Malaysian pet owners have never taken their pets to the vet, EVER!
Meanwhile, only around four out of 10 pet owners take their animals to the vet when they’re sick.
Now one might think that the cost of veterinary treatment and services would be the biggest obstacle in the way of Malaysians getting their pets the medical care they need.
But Royal Canin Malaysia Marketing Head Teh Meng Li explained that their survey of 1,700 pet owners across the country revealed that the main reason why people don’t take their pets to the vet is that they believe that their animals are healthy and don’t need medical attention.
As an animal lover with more than 15 years of healthcare industry experience as a pharmacist, Meng Li has always had a heart to help others, which she believes should not only be limited to human lives but also to the lives of animals that enrich our lives.
My dog is a huge reason why I am passionate about animals. The mutual trust we have for each other is beautiful. This is partly why we want to raise awareness with this global campaign, Take Your Pet to The Vet. I’m glad that I can do my part to make a better life for our furry friends.
Royal Canin Malaysia Marketing Head Teh Meng Li
She added that the practice of treating pets only when they fall ill needs to change by advocating for preventive veterinary care and screening for illnesses at an early stage through regular veterinary visits and checkups.
In June, Malaysian dog owners got a chance to speak with veterinarians about their pets’ health at the ‘Paws Day Out’ event hosted by Royal Canin at Bandar Utama’s Central Park in Petaling Jaya.
There, pet owners receive advice on their pets’ nutrition and got tips on how to keep their animals calm before and during what can be an eventful trip to the vet.
Royal Canin Southeast Asia General Manager Francois Regis said that the event successfully gathered more than 120 dogs throughout the day, with 123 pledges from pet owners to take their pets to the vet regularly.
We’ve also had 130 veterinary vouchers redeemed via the Royal Canin club mobile application following the event.
Royal Canin Southeast Asia General Manager Francois Regis
Francois, who has been with Royal Canin for over 25 years once shared ambitions of becoming a veterinarian himself.
I love working with animals. This is why this campaign is something that is very close to my heart. Being in Royal Canin feels like I’ve come full circle. I can support veterinary professionals and help improve the lives of cats and dogs through healthy nutrition.
Royal Canin Southeast Asia General Manager Francois Regis
He also teased that Royal Canin plans to host a more feline-focused event in Malaysia before the end of the year.
Royal Canin started the ‘Take Your Cat to the Vet’ campaign for cat owners as their data showed that, globally, only 40% of cats get medical attention compared to dogs.
But, over the last few years, the data evolved to show that dogs and dog owners could equally gain benefits from the campaign.
Responsible ownership can help remind everyone to take care of our animal companions’ health just like how we take care of our own.
For the fact that pets make our lives better, Royal Canin has been striving to create a better world for pets by raising awareness of the importance of preventive care, a forgotten but crucial habit for a pet’s health and wellbeing.
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